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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134302">Flower Hearts || KTH</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saupernova_13/pseuds/Saupernova_13'>Saupernova_13</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViviChan04/pseuds/ViviChan04'>ViviChan04</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Doctor Kim Seokjin | Jin, F/M, Hoseok's also a dad, M/M, Minor Character Death, NamJin as dads, Original Character(s), Police Officer Jeon Jungkook, Slow Romance, Teacher Kim Taehyung | V</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:08:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,127</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134302</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saupernova_13/pseuds/Saupernova_13, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViviChan04/pseuds/ViviChan04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em> "It's not a crime to fall in love." </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Wang Yeonjoo, a widowed mother, is given a second chance at love which comes in the form of Kim Taehyung, her sixteen year old son's charmingly handsome homeroom teacher.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jeon Jungkook &amp; Jung Hoseok &amp; Kim Namjoon &amp; Kim Seokjin &amp; Kim Taehyung &amp; Min Yoongi &amp; Park Jimin, Jeon Jungkook &amp; Kim Taehyung | V &amp; Park Jimin, Jeon Jungkook &amp; Park Jimin, Jeon Jungkook/Original Female Character(s), Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Original Female Character(s), Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Seokjin | Jin, Kim Taehyung | V/Original Female Character(s), Min Yoongi | Suga/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue: Crimson Roses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Yeonjoo."</p><p>The name fell, like honey steadily trickling down a jar, from his lips. His heart thumped against his chest as his wife appeared in his vision, auburn hair tied back in a loose bun and an apron covering her night clothes. Her hazel eyes glanced out the rain splattered window. The image of the outside world was blurred from all the fog. "If I were you I'd be out and ready to leave by now," she said, the tumultuous gale causing uneasiness to grow within her. "It doesn't seem like the storm will be easing up anytime soon." The man stayed silent. He was captivated by the beauty before him, the one person who never failed to make his heart race and causes butterflies to erupt in his stomach.</p><p>His love.</p><p>Yeonjoo stepped towards her husband, forehead creasing in worry when she was left with no response. She gently placed her hand on his cheek and gazed into his bemused eyes. "Is everything alright?" A silver of a smile creeped onto the man's lips. He leaned in, softly pressing his lips on his wife's before resting his forehead on hers. "I'm fine. It's just that I'm going to be away for quite some time and-" he gulped, the sorrow of the events to occur causing him to choke up. "The longing to be with you guys is eating me up already."<br/>"Well someone is being awfully sentimental." The woman giggled as her fingers interlaced with her husband's. "Just don't overthink it. You will be back before you know it."<br/>He forced out a laugh, masking his inner feelings, feelings of grief and regret, a feeling close to seeming as if a piece of his heart was ripped out and thrown into a bleak, hollow abyss.</p><p>
  <em>'If only you knew...'</em>
</p><p>A rumbling sound reverberated through the surroundings as a light tore its way through the sky, followed by a shrill scream of fear. The two adults turned their attention to the living room where two children failed to hide their presence behind the couch. One of them, the older brother, whined at his younger sibling in a hushed tone. "Hiru! You blew our cover!" <br/>"B-but," The younger girl whimpered, eyes growing in fear and tears springing from the corners as she held tightly onto her older brother's hand. "The doom doom's coming for me!"<br/>The man gleamed at his children's adorableness and peered back at his wife, who simply shook her head disapprovingly. "Minho. Hikaru."<br/>The children shrieked when their mother stealthily approached their hiding place. She crouched down before their cowering figures. "You both know it's well past your bedtime, right?"<br/>They nodded furiously. Hikaru gazed at her mother with such endearing eyes that it slowly broke older woman's stern demeanour and caused her whole heart to warm up. "Big brother said we should see daddy go this time because he's not gonna be home for a loooooong," Hikaru spoke with pouty lips as she cutely extended the word in her soft voice "time." The man felt a pang in his heart at his daughter's words. He tried not to grimace as more pieces broke away from his core and joined the fallen. He took cautious steps towards the three of them, knees hitting the floor as he engulfed them all in a firm but tender embrace.</p><p>His family.</p><p>"So much," He started softly, lowering his head as he used up all his willpower in an attempt to hold back his tears. "I love you all so much."<br/>Hikaru squealed in delight as she latched herself onto her father while her brother became a flustered mess. "We wuv you too, daddy!"<br/>A wave of serenity washed over Yeonjoo. She immersed herself in the moment, hoping for the merriment to be everlasting. They broke away from the hug moments later. The man stood up, gathered his belongings and walked to the door. He glanced back one final time at his family before exiting the house. A tear rolled imperceptibly from his eye, a fraction of the heartache and despair the man actually felt. "Well, goodbye now."<br/><br/>Unbeknownst to the other members of the household, that was his last goodbye.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🌼</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The next day arrived with a cloudless, sun filled sky, but remnants of the storm which brewed the night before were evident on the glass and grass. Yeonjoo hummed softly as she busied herself in the kitchen with a frown etched on her lips. Something was not sitting right with her. From the moment her husband had left their home, there had been no calls, no messages, nothing, not a word. That was definitely odd behaviour coming from the man who more often than not spammed her cell with calls and texts anytime he felt like doing so. She was lost in her own apprehension when the house phone rang and brought her back down to earth. "Minho! Could you fetch the phone for me!?" She heard the supple patter of feet heading towards the house phone and a soft 'Hello', before her son dashed to her. By the time he got to his mother he was out of breath and his eyes were filled with a mixture of excitement and anxiousness. Minho had the phone clasped in front of him, knowing full well that his mother was about to scold him for running in the house. "Mum, it's the police!"</p><p>Her anxiety massed with every passing second. Every worst case scenario she had been envisioning earlier played through her head like a broken record. She let out a shaky breath and tried to calm her nerves before grasping the phone from her son's hands and answering it. "H-hello?"</p><p><em>"Good day." </em>A stoic voice greeted her.<em> "Is this Mrs. Wang whom I 'm speaking to?"</em></p><p>Yeonjoo swallowed down the panic which was forcing its way up. "Yes it is officer. How may I help you?"</p><p>
  <em>"Would you happen know of someone who owns a vehicle with the registration plate number of xx x xxxx?"</em>
</p><p>Her hands began to shake while the smaller girl entered the kitchen, only to be hushed by her brother. "That- that car belongs to my husband. Why? Did-" Yeonjoo inhaled sharply, dreading the answer to her next question. "Did something happen to my husband?"</p><p>
  <em>"I regret to inform you that Mr. Wang was involved in an accident at nineteen hundred-"</em>
</p><p>She stopped the officer mid-sentence. "Is he alive?" Her whole body involuntarily began to tremble and tears formed in her eyes as the anguish consumed her. "P-please t-tell me h-h-he is a-a-live."</p><p>The line fell silent. <em>"I'm sorry. Unfortunately, he did not make it out-"</em></p><p>Yeonjoo did not need to hear the rest. Her whole body became weak as the phone gradually fell from her hand and landed with a booming thud on the tiled floor. Her legs started to shake violently with the rest of her body and she clutched desperately onto the counter to support her up. The two minors gaped at their mother with widened eyes. Yeonjoo closed her eyes and slid down against the counter to the floor as her breath became shallow and her breathing became rapid.<br/>"Mum! Are you okay! What's wrong!? I'm sorry for running in the house!" Minho exclaimed in worry as he knelt down and hugged his mother's side. "Hikaru!"<br/>The little girl stared at the scene, befuddled, with tears brimming her eyes. She sat down on the other side of Yeonjoo and hugged her mother's arm, burying her face in it. "Mummy don't cry." she said in a barely audible voice. "When mummy cries Hikaru cries too." The girl peered at her brother as a sudden wave of realization of hit her. "We could call daddy!"<br/>Minho looked at his sister, he too almost on the brink of tears. "Hiru. He's busy."<br/>Hikaru shook her head. "Doesn't matter! Mummy is in pain! We need daddy!!!"</p><p>That's when Yeonjoo lost the minuscule strength she was desperately trying to grasp onto. Hot tears cascaded down her face as she started to sob. Agony, sadness, grief, heartache. So many emotions engulfed her being, almost bringing her to the state of numbness. She brought her children close to her in an embrace, the two still unaware of the situation at hand. The salted streams were never-ending. At that moment, Yeonjoo felt so useless, so pathetic, so numb, as the only consolation she could provide for her children was-</p><p>"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🌼</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi there, welcome to Flower Hearts. I do hope you enjoy your stay :))</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Nasturtium In The Rain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yeonjoo expected to have another ordinary, exhausting day working at the daycare centre. Well that all changed, when a charming young man walked in through the classroom door, setting Yeonjoo's dormant heart alight.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Bye bye Miss Yeonjoo!"<br/>
The carer waved back at the little girl, whose chubby hands were clasped around those of her parents as she trotted away. She stepped back into the classroom and exhaled tiredly when her eyes caught glimpse of the time on the clock; 5 pm. Usually, that is when the last child would be picked up from the day-care centre, but to her luck there was still one left. She sat down next to the child, wincing as she endured the discomfort that the small plastic chair brought upon her adult-sized body. "What are you drawing, Sangwoo?"</p><p>The boy, who had previously been concentrating on his drawing, lift his head. His eyes gleamed at the sight of the woman next to him and he grinned fondly. He held the page in front of his face, proudly showcasing his drawing. "It's me and Miss Yeonjoo."<br/>
Two stick figures, one much taller and with much longer hair than the other, were scribbled with bright colours onto the page. They were holding hands at what the woman could vaguely make out to be a beach. "After we get married we'll go Jeju Island for our honeymoon!"<br/>
Yeonjoo smiled and tried to stifle the laugh bubbling within her. She ultimately failed as a small giggle escaped from her lips. Mildly offended that the love of his life found his affection humorous, Sangwoo crossed his pudgy arms. He furrowed his eyebrows and pouted at her in a futile attempt to seem scary. In Yeonjoo's eyes, he resembled a squirrel who had his acorn stolen from him.<br/>
"I'm seriwous."</p><p>"Aren't you a bit too young to be getting married?" she asked Sangwoo, stopping herself from cooing at his cuteness. He pursed his plump lips, deep in thought. Once he reached a solution to the sudden predicament, he slammed his fist onto his palm and nodded his head in understanding. "Then when I'm big like daddy we'll get married!"<br/>
Yeonjoo affectionately ruffled the boy's hair as she spoke. "But when Sangwoo is big like Sangwoo's daddy, Miss Yeonjoo will be old."<br/>
Sangwoo's eyes widened. His brain refused to believe the words which travelled in through his ears. His mouth opened and closed a few times as the gears in his head started to turn.<br/>
"O-old like grandma?" he asked in a discreet voice, mouth still agape.<br/>
Yeonjoo confirmed his suspicion. "Yes, old like grandma"</p><p>Sangwoo's lips quivered slightly before he slammed his little hands on the table. "Miss Yeonjoo will never be old like grandma!" He declared. "Miss Yeonjoo will always be young and..." His cheeks flushed red when he realised what his next words were to be. He lowered his voice, eyes averting to the carpeted floor "P-pretty..."<br/>
Yeonjoo blinked, taken aback by his sudden brashness. She then lightly pinched the boy's cheek with him whining in response. "Ah, you're going to be a real heartbreaker when you're older."</p><p>The day Jung Sangwoo first laid his glimmering eyes on her, it was as if cupid had shot an arrow through his beating heart. He became infatuated with his carer, Wang Yeonjoo. Everyday he would pluck out the tiny daisies growing on the edge of the playground and coyly hand them to Yeonjoo. With it he served the cheesiest pick-up lines (if they could even be classified as that) the older woman had ever heard. Once, he had gone as far as stating that the two of them were soul mates! When that occurred, Yeonjoo was both amused at and worried about the boy's blatant attraction to her. She generally did not pay much attention to Sangwoo's antics, unlike his mother, who apologized profoundly whenever she witnessed her son's overly affectionate behaviour towards Yeonjoo.</p><p>An hour passed and Sangwoo still had not been fetched.</p><p>"Did mummy tell you that she was coming late today?" Yeonjoo asked the younger boy.<br/>
He shook his head. "She said she's busy so daddy or someone will come."<br/>
Before she could respond to him, the classroom door was slammed open, alarming both inhabitants of the room. Hand placed on the door frame to hold his weight, a man stood by the classroom entrance with his body hunched over. His espresso coloured hair resembled that of a bird's nest and sweat glistened down his neck. He gasped for air, chest heaving, as if he had ran a marathon or two to get to the classroom.</p><p>Yeonjoo was immediately suspicious. She shifted the plastic chair closer towards Sangwoo who instead stood up abruptly from his chair. Yeonjoo noticed the spark in his eyes as he sprinted towards the man, screaming inaudible words in his squeaky voice. He sprung onto the man, who instinctively caught him. Seeing the boy's elation, Yeonjoo calmed her nerves, and immediately assumed that the man was Sangwoo's father.</p><p>"Hey there buddy!"<br/>
The sonorous, baritone voice emitted from the man's voice box stunned Yeonjoo. She stared in awe when she had a clear view of his face.</p><p><em>'Wow.'</em> That was the only word her brain could think of as the image of the handsome man caused it to slightly malfunction. The man kissed Sangwoo's cheeks, only for the boy to hit him on his chest in response. "Eww!" Sangwoo scrunched his face up in disgust. "Only mummy and Miss Yeonjoo are allowed to do that!"</p><p>The mention of the carer's name alerted Mr. Jung of Yeonjoo's presence in the classroom. He was about to bow but realised that Sangwoo was still in his arms and he would have dropped the boy if he did. He chuckled half-heartedly "I'm really sorry for coming so late. I got caught up with work and a whole lot of other stuff happened."<br/>
Yeonjoo smiled and waved a dismissive hand. "Don't fret over it. It happens to all of us." Yeonjoo swore her heart stopped beating when he returned the smile with a nervous gleam of his own.</p><p>"We should be off. I don't want to keep you here any longer than you already have been." He put the boy down on the floor and quickly bowed. "I'll make sure this doesn't happen a second time."<br/>
Yeonjoo laughed, internally cursing at herself for falling for the charms of a married man. "I'll take your word for it then."<br/>
The man picked up Sangwoo and headed out the door, the little one screaming his goodbyes as they head off to their 'spaceship'.</p><p>Yeonjoo checked the classroom one final time, ensuring that everything was in place, before she exited the room. She locked it and made her way out to the parking area. She stepped into her car, closing the door. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back into the seat, allowing all her apprehension and stress to seep out from her body and stain the black leather. The day was already awfully long and lagging, but the daily dose of flashbacks she was hit with while interacting with the children and their parents always made her question why she continued to work at the day-care centre. She cast her eyes down as her fingers began to fiddle with the gold ring held between silver, icy chains around her neck. Her lips twitched upwards as a woeful smile gradually appeared on them.</p><p>"It's been six years already huh, love?" She inhaled deeply, sitting a lid atop of the angst thoughts, and started the engine.</p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p>She turned the key again,</p><p>and again,</p><p>and again.</p><p>Yeonjoo stomped out of the vehicle. She opened the bonnet, only to later regret the action as smoke exploded from the engine. She turned her body away from the car as the smog kicked out a coughing fit from her. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, she felt her skin being poked by something wet. She tilted her head up at the bleary sky. In seconds what she hoped was just a little drizzle turned into a full on rain shower. Her whole being was drenched within seconds. She groaned, cursing her 'lucky stars' as she turned her attention back to the burnt out engine. She slammed the bonnet shut with all her might, hoping that she could possibly break the darn thing while she was at it. Totally vexed, Yeonjoo tilted her head up towards the darkened sky. "What have I ever done to end up in such a shitty situation?" She wasn't one to swear but her current situation was honestly very, extremely shitty.</p><p>Blaring lights invaded her vision. Yeonjoo closed her eyes, using her arm to shield them from the brightness. She reopened them and saw a car parked right next to where she stood. The window rolled down and she was met face to with the man she had met minutes prior. "Need a ride?"</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🌼</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Besides the sound of rain drumming against the metal roof, cars obnoxiously honking every few seconds and the soft breathing of the boy asleep in the back of the vehicle, the ride was quite. Yeonjoo sighed as she removed her eyes, which watched the depressing outside world, from the misty window. She had refused Mr. Jung's, no, Mr. Kim's offer to give her a ride home several times but soon realised that it was the only option she had. All the bus schedules would have been delayed due to the heavy weather; and she couldn't afford falling sick and missing a day at work. She brought the oversized beige pea coat closer to her body, her cheeks glowing pink when she remembered how tense the atmosphere had become when the two adults realised that the rain had dampened her shirt to the point of transparency, thus leading the man to lend his jacket to the drenched woman in a very embarrassing manner.</p><p>Yeonjoo felt a tingle in her nose and tried to resist the urge to sneeze. The man's coffee eyes drifted from the jam-packed road to her as the sound of the soft sneeze resonated through the soundless car. "Should I turn up the heater?" he asked her.<br/>
She blinked, the deep pitch of the his voice still startling her. "That wouldn't be necessary, Mr. Kim." He did so anyways. "I told you earlier," he glanced briefly at the woman and smiled, "you don't have to address me so formally, Yeonjoo. Just call me Taehyung."<br/>
Yeonjoo laughed tensely. If anything she wished to go back in time and slap her ignorant past self for mistaking this man, Kim Taehyung, as Sangwoo's father and causing even more tension when he was actually the boy's uncle.</p><p>After a brief silence Taehyung decided to speak up. "So..."<br/>
Yeonjoo peered at the man who seemed to be having an internal debate with himself. "Yes?"<br/>
"Uhm, how old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"<br/>
A sly smile appeared on Yeonjoo's lips. She tried not to hold grudges in her life, but she was not ready to let the night end with only her pride being wounded.<br/>
"Didn't you know, Mr. Kim?" She started off, voice low, as if her next words were to be about an unspoken enigma. "A woman's age is one of their greatest secrets."<br/>
Taehyung was rendered speechless and stared unblinkingly at the woman as she placed her index finger by her lips and winked at him. He swiftly returned his gaze to the road but the red colour slowly creeping up his ears was highly noticeable.<br/>
"I-I didn't mean to- I mean I-" Taehyung stuttered dumbly before stopping himself and exhaling in defeat. "I guess that was the wrong question to start a conversation with."</p><p>"I'm thirty seven." Relief instantly hit the man when he received a reply and this was shown by how he immediately sunk into his seat; only to jolt back up and turn his head towards the lady. "Wait..." he paused as his neurons worked on overtime, "Thirty eight!?"<br/>
Yeonjoo giggled at his reaction, finding it quite endearing how he becomes flustered so easily. "Why? Does your nephew having a crush on a lady almost ten times his age bother you?"<br/>
Taehyung laughed at her remark. He had heard all of what the little boy gets up to at the day-care centre from his sister, Sangwoo's mother. "Man, you seem pretty young for your age."<br/>
Yeonjoo's eyes wandered out the window once again. She sighed, the vapour from her breath causing the window to fog up. "I get that a lot."</p><p>Taehyung opened his mouth to continue with the conversation but the words never came. His eyes remained on Yeonjoo, mind entirely entranced by the beauty the woman held. He was glad that Yeonjoo's focus was elsewhere, he didn't want to seem like a creep randomly admiring a woman who he had just met, but his mind held him captive, not allowing any other thoughts inside his head. The sudden honking of the vehicles around them brought Taehyung back to reality. He apologised and placed his attention back on the road.</p><p>"Are you not going to ask another random question?" Yeonjoo asked as she glanced at Taehyung, snuggling further into the coat. Besides having to deal with unnecessarily bad days, silence was another thing Yeonjoo couldn't stand and she had an inkling that the man felt the same.<br/>
He smiled. "Should I?" She nodded but then felt a bit silly as Taehyung could not see her gesture, although he got the message. "Are you married?"</p><p>Yeonjoo's heart faltered at the question, her fingers instinctively reaching up to her chain, but she kept up her previous peppiness. "I was." She took Taehyung's silence as a sign for her to continue. "My husband, he passed away a few years ago in a car crash."<br/>
The smile fell from Taehyung's lips. "I'm sorry for your loss." he responded solemnly.<br/>
Yeonjoo punched his arm lightly leaving him ruffled by the unexpected action. "No need to get all depressed on me now. Life happens, you just have to deal with it and move on."<br/>
Oh, how Yeonjoo wished she could take her own advice.<br/>
She cleared her throat, a way to distract the man from noticing the grief that surfaced, and continued. "Plus, I got my kids to keep me company and that's all I'll ever need."</p><p>The traffic finally started to move. Taehyung's shoulders suddenly slumped. He ran his fingers through his mob of espresso strands and sighed. "As much as I love children and being around their adorableness, I have yet to have any of my own."<br/>
For some reason incomprehensible to her, Yeonjoo's hand reached up and lightly pinched Taehyung's cheek when a sulky pout formed on his lips. Although the two of them just met, Yeonjoo and Taehyung undeniably knew that they shared something between them. Something like a mutual understanding for the other which just made everything about their interaction feel so natural and not forced.</p><p>"Now you've gone and gotten all sulky." Yeonjoo released Taehyung's cheek as she spoke. "Having children is not all that great, trust me on that." Yeonjoo said as she saw the signboard leading to her neighbourhood. "My children are passing through the stage, where the only way they know how to communicate their love for each other is by constantly bickering, at an unthinkably slow rate. They are such hand full, honestly."<br/>
Taehyung laughed as he was reminded of his own relationship with his sibling. "My sister and I have been forever stuck in that stage."</p><p>The car stopped in front of the railed gate. A fairly sized double storey house with a black tiled roof laid beyond the silver bars. A small, tarred driveway lead straight to the garage and a swing chair hung from the porch roof. The grassy part of the ground was surrounded by a garden decorated with a wide array of flowers.</p><p>"Nice house, seems cosy." Taehyung remarked. Yeonjoo unbuckled the seatbelt, still holding the jacket close to her. "You haven't even seen the inside and yet you say it's cosy?" Taehyung watched, with his arms crossed over the other on the steering wheel, as the auburn haired lady gathered her belongings and opened the car door. "The outside of the house can reflect much about the inside." Yeonjoo stood up, body facing Taehyung by the opened car door. She quirked an eyebrow. "And what does the facade of this house reveal about it's inside?"<br/>
A look of warmth invaded the man's features as he gazed at the house. "Well, judging by the lady of the household," his gaze travelled to Yeonjoo as he completed his statement, "it seems like quite the cordial and lively place to live in."</p><p>Taehyung's warmth infected Yeonjoo and caused her features to light up as well. She removed the man's jacket, as her clothes were fairly dried by now, and placed it neatly on the seat. "Thank you for taking time out of your evening to drop me off." Taehyung scratched his temple with his finger. "I was the one who made you late in the first place."<br/>
"Still, thank you." Yeonjoo gave Taehyung one last smile before closing the car door. She opened the gate, walked to the porch and peered behind her. Taehyung's car was still there. The window rolled down and she heard the man's booming voice. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Wang Yeonjoo!"<br/>
Yeonjoo grinned and replied back. "The pleasure was mine, Kim Taehyung!"</p><p>The last thing she saw before the man drove off was his boyish boxy smile. Yeonjoo placed her hand on the door handle, smile never fading from her lips. "How charming."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🌼</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah, and so it begins! Sorry for the late update :(( exams and school just finished so the updates will be more frequent (until school starts again hehe...)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Camilla Filled Postbox</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After dealing with the her own children and the usual stress that the world brought upon her, a pleasant surprise awaits Yeonjoo as she returned home from work that day.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Who was that?" </p><p>Yeonjoo ignored the interrogative boy's presence as she removed her shoes, along with any energy she had left in reserve. Eventually, she begrudgingly  stood up from the wooden floor and trudged into her house, practically dragging her body with her until she reached the lounge. There, she discarded her bag and collapsed onto the comfort of the sofa. The seat sank with her weight as she did so.</p><p>"Was it a co-worker?"</p><p>"Someone from the neighborhood?"</p><p>"A friend of yours?"</p><p>"Or maybe - OW! What the hell Hikaru!"</p><p>Yeonjoo raised herself up, her fatigued body instantly longing for the softness and warmth of the woolen material. Eyes heavy with wanted sleep, she pointed a finger towards the younger girl who was pinching the older boy's arm. "Hikaru leave your brother alone," Yeonjoo then shifted the finger in the direction of the boy, who was soothing his now sore, red blotched arm. "and to answer your questions, Minho, it was a relative of one of the kids." Once she was done, Yeonjoo grabbed a cushion and pressed her face into it, too out of it to deal with her temperamental children. Minho stood behind Yeonjoo, peering askance at his mother's figure as he further questioned her. "Which kid?" <br/>
Yeonjoo muttered a reply in a muffled voice, not moving an inch from her current comfort. <em>"Jung Sangwoo." </em><br/>
Minho visibly shuddered as the abhorrent name was uttered from his mother's mouth. Undesirable memories resurfaced in his mind's shores and he drowned them the moment they reappeared. Distaste seeped through his voice as he spoke. "Something horrid is about to happen, I just know it."</p><p>"Don't you two have homework to do?" Yeonjoo asked as she further pressed her face into the cushion. She searched through her brain's archives for any excuse to keep her children occupied and leave her exhausted self alone. Hikaru sauntered around the couch and sat herself on the hand-rest, millimeters aways from squashing Yeonjoo's aching feet. <br/>
"I don't know about big bro but I finished mine." She leaned back onto the headrest nonchalantly. "We also made ourselves dinner so you don't need to worry about that." <br/>
Minho scoffed, arms folded on top of the couch as he leaned against the lounge set. "More like I, not we." The younger girl tilted her head and stuck her tongue out mockingly at the older boy. "I still helped you dimwit."</p><p>"Hikaru don't call your brother that."</p><p>"If sitting on your backside and watching me cook was helping me then yes, you helped me almost set the bloody house alight!" Minho spat out, vexed.</p><p>"Minho don't speak to your sister like that."</p><p>Yeonjoo's voice was muted out amidst the siblings' quarrel. The mother gave up on reprimanding the two. She tried to fall asleep in the room blanketed with nonsensical bickering, but she was instantly up when she caught onto her daughter's remark. "I'm not the one who's failing my classes dumbass!"</p><p>Minho paled. Hikaru smirked, satisfied with her brother's reaction, although her smug look fell when she felt a horrifying aura radiating near her. She carefully rounded  her head only to become frightened to the bone by the look her mother sent toward the her and Minho. Yeonjoo smiled, eyes closed and lips pursed, her signature sickeningly sweet but gut wrenching smile. "What is this I hear about failing classes, my dearest son?" </p><p>Minho's blood pressure spiked and a sudden flight or fight instinct arose in him, him obviously wanting nothing more than to do the former at that moment. "Well -er you see m-mum, my -er um well my marks -not all of them -but -" He fumbled on, stuttering incomprehensibly. it was something that Yeonjoo noticed happened whenever her son was on the edge or placed in a highly stressful situation. She sat up and glanced with narrowed eyes at her daughter, who yelped in response. "Explain."</p><p>Hikaru stared contemplatively at her mother. She turned her head and was met with her brother's pleading countenance, and then turned back to Yeonjoo. This process continued a few times over before she finalised her decision- to sell out her own blood for the safety of her beloved comics.</p><p>"Big bro's Maths marks have been dropping over the past few terms and he failed the mid term test they wrote recently so his teacher, Mr. Kim, wants to do extra lessons with my older moron since said moron is unable to attend the general tuition on Saturdays because he has basketball practice." Minho gaped in disbelief at his sister. He cursed under his breath and felt foolish for having any faith in Hikaru.</p><p>Mr. Kim.</p><p>Yeonjoo's mind slowly wandered over to the charmingly generous man she had met hours prior. She briefly closed her eyes, shaking out the bee from the bonnet as she had a more pressing issue to deal with. Yeonjoo patted the place next to her, gesturing for Minho to sit there. He silently obliged and proceeded to take slow, cautious steps towards his mother. Yeonjoo dropped her intimidating demeanour as a sigh left her lips. "Tell, me Minho. How is it possible for the top student to so suddenly start failing the subject they did best in?" Minho also sighed as he sat down next to her. "I don't know mum." </p><p>"If you were having a problem with anything you could have come to me for help, you know that right?" </p><p>When he heard the sincerity laced in his mother's voice, it was as if a whole barrel of reeking cow dung had been dumped on him. He, essentially, felt like crap. Minho knew how much his mother gave up and how much effort she had put in to ensure Hikaru and him were given the best she could provide. After the passing of his father, everything that could go wrong did go wrong, horribly wrong, but his mother sucked it all up and strived. Minho had a deep rooted respect for Yeonjoo for that exact reason. With all her struggles, Yeonjoo thought that the least she could do was ensure that her children had the best education she could afford, and here Minho was flunking the subject over something so trivial.</p><p> <br/>
"It wasn't that it was-", he stopped his rambling and exhaled. "I honestly don't know." He paused. "The teacher, maybe." <br/>
Hikaru rolled her eyes at her brother's sorry excuse. Yeonjoo placed her two fingers by her temple, shutting her eyes as she sighed once more. "I need a  more solid reason than that, Minho." <br/>
The boy groaned.<br/>
"By the way." Yeonjoo glanced at the two children. "When exactly is this teacher planning on starting the tuition?" <br/>
The siblings replied simultaneously, "Tomorrow," then swiftly snapped their heads to face the other and gasped when they realised when tomorrow was, as well as the messy state their living space was in. Yeonjoo had her trademark smile plastered on her face. "I expect this house to be spotless by morning." She left the couch and entered the kitchen on a mission to fill her empty stomach, which was currently churning against itself. Yeonjoo returned with a mouthful of noodles only to spot the two teens still slumped on the sofa. She swallowed the food. "Well, what are you two waiting for?" <br/>
Minho and Hikaru both whined in protest before getting up and getting down to work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> 🌼</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Yeonjoo departed from her house earlier than she usually did the following morning as her car was still crashed in the day-care centre's parking-lot. She had no gripes about using the bus, as it was one of the few times where she had an opportunity to chat with the other women in the neighbourhood and catch up on all the latest gossip. There was just one, tiny, inconvenience. The bus stop nearest to the day-care centre was five blocks away, so she had to add about another ten minutes to her travel time.</p><p>Yeonjoo smiled as she entered through the gates of the centre. Somehow, the sight of the vividly yellow building before her never failed to energize her entire being. She first headed to the parking lot to look for her-<br/>
She stopped mid-step and had a stolid expression as she stared at the vacant parking-space where she had last seen the vehicle. "Where the hell is that goddamned car?" Yeonjoo asked no one in particular. She surveyed empty spot, as if she expected the vehicle to mysteriously appear out of thin air like magic. <br/>
Strange, she thought. "Maybe it caught a fright when it thought about how badly it was going to get beaten when I came back, so it drove away." The carer laughed at her own lame joke as she made her way to the building.</p><p>"I'm so sorry about yesterday!!" <br/>
Yeonjoo stopped in her tracks. An obstacle had blocked her from entering the classroom. "Ah, Mrs. Jung. Good morning to you too." <br/>
The woman promptly straightened her back from her bowing position and casually slapped Yeonjoo's arm. "I told you before,  you can just call me Yeona, Yeonjoo." <br/>
The carer nodded, not wanting to dispute with the seemingly aggressive woman. Yeonjoo's mind drifted back once again to the events of the day before, noticing the small similarities between the Kim/Jung siblings. "Alright, Yeona. What are you apologizing for anyways?" Yeonjoo asked, unable to recall Sangwoo doing anything remotely defiant for his mother to be apologizing for. <br/>
Yeona scowled. "For the incompetence of my younger brother who fetched Sangwoo so late yesterday." <br/>
Yeonjoo wavered before asking the obvious. "Taehyung?" <br/>
"Yep." Yeona's lips spread upwards menacingly. "We had a real nice chat about how to be punctual and timely." <br/>
Yeonjoo had a hunch that the woman probably beat her brother with a slipper and mentally sent her prayers to the poor man.</p><p>"Mummy was suuuuper mad, she even hit Taetae hyung with her slipper!"<br/>
Only then did Yeonjoo notice the presence of the small child who held his mother's hand. "Good morning to you Sangwoo." Yeonjoo greeted the child in a cheery voice. The boy averted his eyes to the ground as he shyly made a heart with his fingers. "Morning, my love."<br/>
Yeonjoo and Yeona froze, unable to react to the scene before them.<br/>
"Daddy said I should say that!" Sangwoo exclaimed, breaking the silence. He hid his beet red face behind his pudgy hands. Yeonjoo laughed awkwardly while Yeona smacked her forehead "Guess I ought to have a chat with him too." <br/>
Yeona's phone buzzed in her bag. She fished it out and quickly switched it on, eyes slightly widening as she checked the time. She let go of her son's hand. "Anyways, I should probably go." She knelt down and placed a kiss on Sangwoo's cheek. "Bye now my little sunshine." Sangwoo squealed in delight and attacked his mother's cheek with his own little kisses. Yeona giggled, getting up from the ground and waving back at the other lady before walking away. "See you later, Yeonjoo!"</p><p>Yeonjoo waved back while the boy shouted his goodbyes. Seconds later the lady came rushing back. She opened her mouth and the words sped out like a bullet train during lunch-time rush hour, "Before it slips my mind, Taehyung told me to relay the message that he phoned the mechanics to pick up your car and you shouldn't be shocked if there's an empty space where you last left it." Yeona said her courtesies one last time before speeding off.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> 🌼</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The day ended quicker than usual and all the children were fetched timeously, which was much appreciated by Yeonjoo. Even so, the constant effort she had put to push any and every thought about Taehyung to the ends of her mind made the day seem longer than it actually was. Yeonjoo glanced at her watch as she made her way to the bus stop. There was about an hour left till Minho's teacher was supposed to show up at her house. Yeonjoo's mind instantly became wrapped in thoughts of Minho's grades. There wouldn't have been a problem if her child was not getting incredibly high marks but she has known Minho for the last sixteen years and she of all people should know the extent of his academic potential. Something would have gone awfully wrong for his marks to be slipping that drastically all so suddenly. Yeonjoo sighed as she continued her walk. She felt as if she had been doing that action a lot lately. Maybe, she thought, it was a way for her to exhale all the pressure life brought upon her. </p><p>She passed a signboard as she reached the bus-stop, but stepped back a few steps to clearly view the words on it as the red writing caught her attention. Yeonjoo halted, and gulped as she stared in temptation at the big, bold letters splattered before her.</p><p><br/>
<strong>'50% OFF ON ALL GROCERIES ITEMS: VALID FOR TODAY ONLY'</strong>
</p><p> </p><p><em>'I mean,'</em>  Yeonjoo thought, she still had some spare time so why not?</p><p>Yeonjoo eventually regretted her decision of attending the sale. She arrived at her house two hours later, utterly exhausted. Her arms ached as they carried packets of groceries, two per arm. Shopping was tiresome and it's not like she had fought with another lady to get the last carton of milk... Yeonjoo groaned as she noticed the bruises on her fingers from how tightly she had held onto the product. It came in a pack of six and would probably have saved her the hassle of and money with buying milk for the coming month. In her opinion, that was enough reasoning for her earlier actions. She entered her home, the loud 'thud' of the shopping bags landing on the wooden floor announcing her presence.<br/>
"Minho! Hikaru! I'm home."</p><p>Hikaru dashed towards her mother from the lounge and gasped at the sight of the white packets which were on the brink of tearing. The younger girl shook her head disapprovingly, knowing full well of her mother's shopping tendencies. "So that's why you're late." <br/>
Yeonjoo exhaled tiredly as she massaged her sore shoulders. "It was going half price."<br/>
Hikaru tried to pick up one of the packets but resorted to dragging them to the kitchen before they dragged her down instead. "By the way mum," she spoke from over her shoulder, "it's quite impolite to shout when you have guests over at your house."</p><p>Hikaru's statement left Yeonjoo puzzled, but she soon found her answer. Her eyes travelled to the dining room and she noticed that <em>two</em> chairs were occupied by the wooden table. She was at a loss for words and her staggering expression mirrored that of the man's. Minho glanced between his mother and the man who sat in front of him. "Do you two know each other?"</p><p>Oh, Yeonjoo knew exactly who he was. How could she ever forget that face? That face, covered by an overgrown mop of brown hair and speckled with stubble. That soft edged face with rounded features, which adorned the warmest pair of espresso eyes the woman had ever seen. That handsome face, which had been reappearing in her mind for the past day, taunting her and seeking to draw the woman's attention away from her day to day tasks. The man slowly raised from his seat and spoke as incredulously as the woman before him.</p><p>"Wang Yeonjoo?"</p><p>"Kim Taehyung??"</p><p> </p><p> 🌼</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>[me saying I'd update more regularly but ends up updating 2 weeks later] *nervous laughter*</p><p>Merry Christmas and a happy new year!<br/>( ◜‿◝ )♡</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Blue Salvias</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We take a glimpse at a normal day in Minho's life and at Taehyung's reaction and solution to his sudden predicament.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Taehyung silently gulped, attempting to keep his calm under the unwavering, hostile glare of the boy before him. When Yeonjoo had appeared from the wooden door, he wanted to jump for joy and thank the lord above for allowing him to meet the woman once again. For once again gifting him the chance of meeting the beauty, who had disrupted his thinking process for the past day and flooded his mind with thoughts only about her. The miniscule second it took for him to soak in the rather baffling situation he was placed in prevented him from doing so.<br/>
 <br/>
"So..." Minho glanced between his teacher seated stiffly in front of him and his mother who was carrying a tray of tea and biscuits to the table. She wore an inscrutable expression on her face. "You do know each other?"<br/>
"We just met the other day." Yeonjoo responded, as she placed the tray on the wooden table. Taehyung inconspicuously averted his gaze from Yeonjoo who stood right next to where he sat. In doing so, he unintentionally caught Hikaru's hungry gaze, which travelled from the lounge to the biscuits. Having been caught red handed, Hikaru quickly wiped the drool forming by her mouth. She smiled sheepishly at the teacher then she engrossed herself on the show playing on the television.<br/>
"He's the kind man who gave me a lift yesterday." Yeonjoo added as she handed Taehyung a tea filled cup. He carefully received it from her hand, thanking her quietly as his fingers slightly brushed against the skin of Yeonjoo's hand. He had to calm down his palpitating heart at the contact. Minho scrunched his nose up in distaste when he realised who his teacher was affiliated with. "Sangwoo's uncle?"<br/>
Taehyung blew on the piping hot liquid before replying. "That's me."<br/>
The boy muttered under his breath, inaudible to the other occupants of the room. <em>"Disgusting."<br/>
</em><br/>
Oh, Kim Taehyung was royally screwed now. He anxiously sipped the tea as all his future plans were torn to shreds and set alight before his very own eyes. He had planned to bribe his sister for Yeonjoo's number the next time he saw her so that he could work on the almost non-existent but still visible connection him and Yeonjoo had unconsciously established. If he had known that Yeonjoo was the parent of one of his students, he would have still kept that tiny bit of professionalism between them instead of charging into war with his barricades down. The only thing he could do now was try and put some distance between them.<br/>
<br/>
Yeonjoo pulled back the chair next to her son and sat down on it. She exhaled as she prepared herself to address the business of the night. "Now, about my son's marks..."<br/>
Taehyung internally wailed as he realised there was no way he could put any distance when he was coming over almost everyday to tutor her son. He cleared his throat and decided that for now, his best option would be to keep their interaction strictly professional, even if it meant enduring the undisguised hatred of Wang Minho.</p><p>Taehyung noticed how Minho blanched at Yeonjoo's words. The teen peered with pleading eyes at his teacher, probably hoping that Taehyung would not do him dirty. Unfortunately for him, his teacher had other plans. Professionalism. <br/>
Taehyung removed his thick, round rimmed glasses. He placed them on the table, before opening his mouth and providing more reasons for Minho to despise him. "They were perfectly fine when I first transferred as their homeroom teacher earlier this year," Taehyung turned to his bag, rummaging through it as he spoke, "but as the term progressed they took a gradual drop until this." <br/>
A white page emerged from his grasp and he handed it to Yeonjoo. Minho was ready to garrotte the teacher when he saw a huge circled 'F' in red pen with his name next to it. Out of all the undesirable things his teacher could have done, he had to show his mother his test results. Taehyung mentally sent his sympathies to his student when he noticed Yeonjoo's blank expression at the also quite blank page. She turned to Minho, who instinctively snapped his head to the side, not wanting to deal with the disappointment evident on both his teacher's and mother's face.<br/>
<br/>
Yeonjoo sighed and returned her gaze back to the teacher. Her blank visage was now painted with worry. "Do you know what could have caused his marks to drop so badly?"<br/>
Taehyung paused momentarily as he pondered about the many similar cases he had faced in his teaching career thus far. He tried to find an explanation which wouldn't cause any more blemishes to Minho's clean streak. <br/>
"There actually could be many reasons. One could be the class." Taehyung's shoulders slumped as a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him as the thought floated by. "Don't get me wrong, they're all pretty bright and decent kids, but they are the most rowdy class in the whole school and are constantly finding a million and one reasons why they should do anything else but work during lessons. So there's a possibility that he's not able to focus amidst all the chaos."<br/>
"Definitely not the class." Minho cut in.<br/>
Yeonjoo gave her son a look, telling him not to butt in when the adults are talking. It had immediate effect. Minho pursed his lips, shutting himself up.<br/>
"It could also be where he sits in class." Taehyung continued, having aborted his mission on trying to save Minho's image. "His seat is near the back of the class next to the window. I quite often catch him daydreaming or staring out of the glass at who knows what. I only wish he would put the same interest he has in whatever's outside that window into my subject."<br/>
Hikaru, having overheard the whole conversation, smirked knowingly. "Must be a pretty ladybug or something."<br/>
Yeonjoo shushed her daughter, not noticing the faint pink colour dusted on Minho's cheeks and his sudden interest in the floor below them.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
🌼</p><p> </p><p><br/>
Footsteps echoed through the hallway as a boy with a distant air made his way through. Most moved aside, staring in awe as he walked past or peering with deadly intent. The boy was fairly tall for his age and his skin had been slightly tanned from years of being involved in sports. His face was sculpt, with sharp edges and elevated contours, and had adorned even sharper, icy rounded eyes which were partially covered by parted raven strands.<br/>
<br/>
That, was Wang Minho, an eleventh grade student blessed with all brains, beauty and built. Girls fell over each other for him and guys either admired him him or despised his existence. Minho, on the other hand found the whole ordeal pretty childish and extremely annoying. It's not as if he asked to be born with those handsome features and have the snarky personality he had. Minho had lost count of the number of times he had found love letters, gifts and death threats in his locker. The amount of times he had to reject girls or find a way to scare off the goons who loathed him. The number of days where he just wished he could be considered a normal boy like the rest. Minho didn't ask to be popular, he didn't like all the attention and did not appreciate people sticking their nose into his business. An image had been placed for the name Wang Minho, and because of this few wanted to befriend him and those who did always had ulterior motives. Well, he had one friend. Just one.<br/>
<br/>
"DUDE, DUDE, DUDE!!!"<br/>
<br/>
An annoyingly boisterous but endearing person burst through the classroom door. Minho had squint his eyes at the gleaming boy. In the blink of an eye he sped towards Minho's desk and slammed his hands flat on it. Minho's childhood and only friend, Choi Dohyun.<br/>
Dohyun flashed his phone in his friend's face, with Minho copying the action. <br/>
"CLC's COMEBACK THOUGH!"<br/>
"Changmo's new mixtape though."<br/>
<br/>
Sometimes opposites really do attract-<br/>
<br/>
Dohyun swiped a chair from a nearby desk and placed it opposite his friend. The boy sat down, his upper arms rested on the table as his hands held his face. Minho was highly disturbed by the creepy smile being sent his way. <br/>
"What is it now?" Minho asked, exasperated as his eyes fell back onto the book he was reading. Dohyun's grin grew wider, although his eyes were full of irritation. "Rumour has it that Kwan's new chick has the hots for you." <br/>
Minho responded, unconcerned, his eyes not even glancing up from the novel. "So?"<br/>
Dohyun's eyebrow twitched. His painted smile remained as he stood up, slowly reaching for the pencil case on the table behind him. He discarded his frustrations along with the case as it landed square on Minho's face. Dohyun's gleam intensified and he was almost on the brink of tears. Ecstasy coursed  through his veins, similar to the feeling he got whenever he managed to hit a home run during baseball practice.</p><p>Not even a second later the deafening sound of metal harshly scraping against the floor resonated amongst the noise of the class. Minho stood up and furiously grabbed Dohyun's shirt, pulling the boy towards him as his book fell to the ground. His eyes were wide with anger and his jaw pulsed as he spoke. "How many times must I repeat myself till you get it into that thick head of yours!? My body isn't meant to be used for practicing your shitty baseball skills!!!" <br/>
Dohyun also indignantly grabbed Minho's shirt, pulling him so close that their foreheads butted. "And how many times must I repeat myself!? Kwan is the gangster of gangsters in this school!! If you don't watch your tongue that chick is gonna squeal to her lil boyfie AND THE ABANDONED SKATEBOARD RANK IS GOING TO BE YOUR DEATHBED!!!"<br/>
<br/>
Lee Kwan was what you could call the leader of the delinquents in the high school. Students and teachers alike feared the eleventh grader and hoped that the day of his graduation would approach sooner. The board had brought the topic of his misdeeds to light on multiple occasions but Kwan's mother just happened to be the head of the board of directors. Her company financed all school events and provided the funds needed for the smooth running of the school. In Mrs. Lee's eyes, her dear son was just living a fulfilled high school life- however fulfilling beating up gangs from other schools and taking advantage of and abusing others so they do his bidding may be. So far, Minho hadn't made it onto Kwan's hit-list, the two hardly knew the other existed, and Dohyun hoped for his friend's sake that it would remain as such.</p><p><br/>
All the features on the Minho's face inched up as he tugged Dohyun closer to him. "I won't die that easily." Minho seethed, full of cockiness. <br/>
Dohyun's eyes fluttered close as he chuckled darkly. "You'll drop as quickly as Agust D's new mixtape dropped off the charts."<br/>
Time in Minho's world stopped as soon as the words left his friend's lips. It was if a bullet shot from a loaded gun had pierced his beating heart. His fingers slowly loosened around Dohyun's collar and he backed away, legs almost stumbling into his chair. Minho clutched onto the fabric of his shirt.<br/>
"You monster." He gasped. The mentioned rapper was someone the teen had great respect for and he practically idolized the man. He owned every mixtape, every single and every interview of the man, digitally of course. "You take that back."<br/>
Dohyun just rolled his eyes at his friend's reaction, not expecting 'Dramatic Wang' to appear when he took a shot at Minho's weak spot. Dohyun opened his mouth to retaliate but another voice beat him to it.<br/>
<br/>
"Dumbass and Dumbasser! Kim Tae at five o'clock!"<br/>
<br/>
The blood from Dohyun's face drained when he remembered why he rushed to Minho in the first place. "I DIDN'T DO MY FUCKING HOMEWORK!"<br/>
<br/>
 -but are they really as different as they make themselves out to be?</p><p> </p><p><br/>
🌼</p><p> </p><p><br/>
The lesson carried on smoothly- as smooth as any lesson in class 11A could be. Minho's attention span gradually deteriorated into dust and he found his eyes wandering outside the window. His eyebrows creased, but soon relaxed as his beautiful distraction had arrived. Minho leaned his face on his palm, jitter bugs crawling around his skin and a small smile gracing his lips.<br/>
<em>'It should be a crime to be that gorgeous.'</em><br/>
"Wang Minho." The stern, deep voice involuntarily brought the boy back to earth from his little daydream. Minho removed his eyes from the window as they lazily glanced up to find the owner of the voice. He groaned.<em> 'This guy again.'</em><br/>
Mr. Kim lightly tapped the top of Minho's head with the thick textbook he was holding. "If you are so determined on not paying attention in my lesson, top student or not, I will be forced to keep you in after school." <br/>
<em>'You won't be forced to asshole, it's a choice,'</em>  is what Minho wanted to say but he chose to remain silent. <br/>
"Is that what you want?" <br/>
<em>'What I want is to get the hell out of this lesson.'</em><br/>
"No sir." Minho replied in a dead voice. <br/>
The teacher sighed in defeat. "It's not that I enjoy reprimanding you kids, but twenty minutes have passed and we haven't even managed to solve a single equation." He peered around the class, his patience slowly running to a nil. "So please pay attention, and this doesn't apply to Mr. Wang only." <br/>
A low rumble of "Yes sir"-s echoed in the class. <br/>
<br/>
Kim Taehyung had transferred to the school at the beginning of the school year as the previous teacher had resigned from his position. He had been appointed as the homeroom teacher for the school's most dreaded class and also the Algebra teacher for the grade. He would be under exaggerating by calling them a handful, but nonetheless he thoroughly enjoyed his job. Plus, most of the learners preferred him over the other teachers. This was mainly due to his lively personality and the fact that he was one of the hand picked teachers that actually had the students' best interest at heart; also because he always found a way to get his class out of the daily nonsense they involved themselves in. All of this was good and dandy but on the rare occasion when the teacher was in a really foul mood, they could only pray that they would not be the one chosen to bear the fearsome weight of his wrath.<br/>
<br/>
Minho however saw the teacher in a different light.</p><p>He hated Kim Taehyung with a burning passion.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
🌼</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just some insight on Minho's and Taehyung's relationship. </p><p>Expect more TaeJoo [yes, I made a ship name for them :,)] moments in the next chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Brewed Ivy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Coincidently, Yeonjoo and Taehyung bump into each other at the convenience store and afterwards decide to grab some coffee together.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Trees swayed furiously, bending against their will as they adhered to the vicious calling of the gale. Droplets of sorrow stained the land, cascading from fluffs of grey which caused the once blue sky to be forgotten and become dim. A bellow, booming and fearsome, thundered from the depths of the endless murky sea above. It seized a blinding light and hurled it down upon the earth. It's target, the unsuspecting antenna protruding atop black, ceramic tiles. The bolt hit the object with such mighty force that it ultimately caused the television to black out.</p><p>“OH COME ON!!!”</p><p>A remote was flung at the now blank television screen. Yeonjoo groaned, stuffing her mouth with more potato chips to simmer the indignation steadily growing within her. The morning had begun with dreary, unpleasant weather and the thoughtless, roaring thunderstorm had cut her sleep short. Sullen and unwilling to be productive, Yeonjoo decided to indulge in some alone time, what she gleefully titled as ‘Yeonjoo-Time’. On the edge of her seat from the umpteenth drama episode she had watched, the lightening had quite impolitely interrupted her free time and left her heart panging to see the ending. Yeonjoo banged her head against the sofa in vexation.</p><p>“Mum!” <br/>
Head bent over the headrest, Yeonjoo was met with the inverted figure of her daughter. Hikaru stood idly in the kitchen with an empty, oil-stained container in her hold. “We’re out of kimchi."<br/>
“Is that so?”, Minho scoffed as he strode down the stairs, arms folded. “Well, if <em>someone</em>,” he relayed extra emphasis on the word as he vindictively approached his sister, voice gradually rising, “didn’t waste the damn thing on a sorry attempt of a dinner then maybe we’d have some left!”</p><p>The air around the two teenagers gradually became blanketed with unmistakable tension. Yeonjoo's mother senses went into overdrive. She could practically hear the start of a quarrel. Totally irritated by her short-lived relaxation and not wanting to throw her frustrations onto her soon to be bickering children, Yeonjoo rose from the sofa. The action halted Hikaru from her response which was to be as immature as her brother’s.</p><p>Minho and Hikaru could only stare as their mother, who still wore her long-sleeved button up night garments, trotted towards the doorway and snatched her long coat from the jacket hanger. She covered herself with the material while she searched around, found and shoved her wallet and house keys into her pockets. “Kimchi only, right?”</p><p>Minho and Hikaru shared a look before blurting out:</p><p>“I heard that there’s an interview with Agust D in the teen mag— ”<br/>
“ –and a new issue of the comic series I’m reading just got released.”</p><p>A brief glimpse from their mother had them understand that neither were getting what they wanted. Yeonjoo pulled on her boots and grabbed her umbrella. She faced the entrance to avoid being persuaded by her children’s sulky demeanours, and smoothed down her unkempt hair. Icy air rushed in the instant the door was opened. Yeonjoo shivered as the wind bit at her exposed skin. She pushed her hands into the fuzzy fabric of her coat and regretfully exited the house. The door was shut in her stead by a surge of wind, yet still she managed to hear fragments of the brewing brawl.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
🌼</p><p> </p><p><br/>
One thing that always helped to lift Yeonjoo’s spirit was taking lengthy walks in solitude. The sometimes stillness of noise was much appreciated and the up-taken air managed to freshen up her entire mind-set. The peace it brought along was invigorating and moments such as these allowed her to unwind and think; to reflect. Reflect on past actions, organize present thoughts and strategize future endeavours.</p><p>The uncovered part of her face chilled as the wind brushed against it, prompting her to tug the jacket closer to her skin. Truth be told, despite the relief walking brought her, in the current weather condition she would have really opted to taking her car instead. She chose to commute by foot as Taehyung had informed her previously when they met for Minho’s tuition that her vehicle would only be ready and repaired by the coming week.</p><p>She reached the store and discarded her umbrella in the fairly empty umbrella rack. It was still in the early hours of the day so the vacancy of people was to be expected. The chime of a bell indicated her entrance to the store and gush of hot air welcomed Yeonjoo as she stepped in. She sighed in content at the newfound warmth and began sauntering around the familiar aisles. She almost reached her destination but bumped into a taller, broader figure before she could. She immediately spouted her apologies, but her mind blanked out, unable to formulate any coherent words as she stared at the familiar pair of mesmerising chocolate eyes. “Fancy meeting you here, Mr. Kim.” Yeonjoo managed to say once she regained her composure.</p><p>The man chuckled, a smile playing on his lips, “I could say the same for you, Ms. Wang.”<br/>
Not wanting to overthink how adorable Taehyung looked at this moment, Yeonjoo snapped her eyes to the shelves upon shelves of containers and jars. Taehyung's jacket was zipped up to the collar, part of his face hidden behind the fabric while the rest was covered by his partially fogged up glasses and the beanie that reached his eyebrows. Yeonjoo bit back her smile as she resembled him to a snowman, the scarf wrapped loosely around his jacket collar only made the image clearer in her head. “So what brings you here on this fantastically fine Saturday morning?”</p><p>The sardonic tone of her voice skipped Taehyung’s ears as he also reached for an item. “Just needed a few things, you?"<br/>
She replied while scanning through the prices of each product. “Kimchi,” she said as she grabbed the most reasonably priced one of the lot. Her eyes dipped and viewed the overflowing basket of grocery items which was barely being held up by Taehyung’s strained arm. The jar of kimchi sat there like a crown upon a mountain of lost jewels. “Just a few things, huh?”<br/>
Taehyung deflated as they made their way to the pay point, with Yeonjoo offering to hold the larger items in his basket. “I share an apartment with two men who puberty decided to hit their appetite, not their maturity”.  <br/>
Yeonjoo laughed tensely, wondering if Minho and Hikaru were still at each other’s throats. “I live with two teenagers who are yet to find the true meaning of growing up, welcome to the club.”<br/>
<br/>
She left Taehyung’s groceries back in his hold as she went to pay for the kimchi, and the two chocolate bars she swiftly grabbed and placed onto the counter. Yeonjoo was unware of it, but Taehyung could make out how frazzled she actually was. He had initially noticed it when they first met at the day-care centre. It was the small, minute details which painted the entire picture and which allowed him to view far beyond Yeonjoo's fronts. The way her smiles of courtesy failed to illuminate her hazel eyes, which were etched in a weary droop and her back, which was moulded in a slight slump. How her shoulders were eternally in a downwards incline, making it seem as if they were truly carrying the weight of the world. Her world.  </p><p> </p><p>The chime sounded once again as Yeonjoo exited the store. Her body instantly ached for the soothing warmth of the air conditioning as an icy rush slithered across her skin. She waited patiently under the awning for Taehyung to finish up inside as she had yet to say her goodbyes. She thought it would be rather rude of her to leave without doing so. She gently twirled the umbrella, entranced by the subtle movement of the rain drops as they raced to the tip, all collecting together, rolling off and splashing into other puddles. For the past week Yeonjoo had put in her best effort to be as cordial as she could on the days when Taehyung came over, but the teacher’s distant mannerisms were noted. Yeonjoo had thought that they hit it off quite well on their first meeting and wouldn’t have minded if friendship blossomed out of it, but it seemed that the other party had a different view on the matter.<br/>
<br/>
Water suddenly splattered by her feet with much force and sound, causing Yeonjoo to jump. She blinked out her confusion when Taehyung made his presence beside her known. He had dropped two packed plastic bags onto the dampened paving and stretched his arms above his head, exhaling as relief hit his joints and a succession of cracks travelled down his arms to his neck. He then covered his head with his jacket’s hood and picked up the packets, stepping out of the covering of the awning and into the rain. He paused, titled his head back and sent Yeonjoo his ever so charming smile. “Coffee?”<br/>
Left with only Yeonjoo’s puzzled visage as a reply, Taehyung laughed. “You seem like you need to get some stuff of your chest, so why not do it over some soul-warming coffee?”<br/>
<br/>
When Yeonjoo eventually caught onto Taehyung’s offer, all worries about the two’s relationship flew out the window. She walked up to Taehyung, offering him shelter under her umbrella as she beamed. “You better be prepared because I have a ton of ranting to do.”</p><p> </p><p><br/>
🌼</p><p> </p><p><br/>
Laughter erupted through Taehyung, his booming, sonorous voice rising above other noises in their surrounds. His body quaked as he titled his head back and placed a hand on his stomach. Yeonjoo was stoic, unamused by the topic at hand. Her shoulders sank, head hung as she gripped onto the empty mug.<br/>
“You can’t be serious?”, Taheyung remarked, slowly calming down.<br/>
Yeonjoo rested her chin on the wooden table, lips curved into a frown. “It’s like a bloody curse. Ever since his fifth birthday it’s become a lifelong habit of Minho’s to attempt to burn the house down, usually during his kitchen duties. That’s why Hikaru had taken it upon herself to supervise that blundering brother of hers yet he had the damn audacity to comment on her cooking skills. Just a preference of mine, but I’d rather eat underdone fried rice than inedible, compacted chunks that were just on fire.”<br/>
<br/>
Taehyung continued to laugh when Yeonjoo laid her face flat onto the surface of the table. She almost dozed off as they descended into a comforting silence. It had been just under an hour since the two settled into the pleasantly amiable cafe. Taehyung was a regular here and the moment the indulgent flavour of the caffeine entered her system, she understood why. The beverages served here were indeed soul-warming. They made her forget that it was minus degrees outside and triggered her master gland to release its well-hidden endorphins. It was the most rejuvenating experience she had ever tasted, literally. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>After receiving their drinks and calming her nerves with the coffee, Yeonjoo had chucked all her troubles onto the table. From the daily events which made her rethink her life decisions and the tiresome hours of attempting to diffuse her children’s arguments, she shoved them all and everything else in between towards the other; almost everything. Taehyung was silent for the most of it, paying close attention to the woman’s concerns and nodding briefly. He remarked here and there to lighten up the mood and even spilt some of his own tea. This made Yeonjoo feel relaxed in Taehyung’s presence throughout their chat. She had let loose, deciding to put their awkward past week behind her and to pick up from when they first met. It was strange, Yeonjoo thought, how Taehyung knew exactly what and what not to say and do that made her heart and mind be at ease. She pushed the thought to the back of her brain's archives, not wanting to complicate anything and just wanting to cherish the new friendship. She was just glad that she finally made a friend from the opposite sex who wanted nothing more than what she wanted from the relation. Friendship.</p><p> </p><p>“Pardon me.”<br/>
A voice broke through the silence. The previous matter of discussion exhausted Yeonjoo to the point where she was unable to find the strength to lift her head and acknowledge the barista, Kang Chul, who she came to know was an old friend of Taehyung’s.<br/>
“Can I get you two anything else?”<br/>
Taehyung drummed his fingers against the table as he ordered. “Another cafe latte would be nice.”<br/>
“One cafe latte for the handsome man, and what would the pretty lady like to order?”<br/>
<br/>
“A caramel macchiato, double on the syrup and cream, please.” Her voice came out in a murmur.<br/>
Chul repeated the order then headed off while Taehyung remarked, voice hinted with humour, “Wow. I didn’t expect you to be a sweet person.”<br/>
Yeonjoo scoffed at his unintended pun. She removed her head from the table. Her eyes were still focused on the surface so she failed to notice the brushes of pink speckled along Taehyung’s cheeks. Yeonjoo's hair was tousled and her lips formed a pout. “I need it to drown out all the bitterness this thing called ‘life’ brings.”<br/>
<br/>
Her eyes flickered up when she was left without a response. Her eyebrows creased slightly, while Taehyung stared unblinkingly at her. “Is something wro— “<br/>
A rough hand placed itself upon her forehead, cutting off her sentence and air supply to her lungs. Taehyung had leaned over the table, his hand reaching forward and smoothing out her matted bangs. The close proximity of their faces allowed Yeonjoo to take note of the finer details her eyes failed to catch onto during their previous meetings. Such as the tiny mole dotted on the tip of his nose and how kempt and unusually smooth his stubble looked. <em>Organized</em>. The sparkle in his eyes when they were focused on something and the crease of his forehead while he dealt with it. <em>Determined</em>. The slight curve of his lips when he had accomplished his mission and the flush of his cheeks when he had realised exactly what he had accomplished. <em>Endearing</em>.</p><p>Feet halted obnoxiously in ear shot of the two and a loud gasp followed by <em>“Oh my,”</em> could be heard. Parent and teacher froze. Taehyung slowly retracted his hand and steadily descended back into his chair while Yeonjoo peered impassively at the table’s surface. Chul cautiously placed the drinks onto the table. He stepped away and covered his mouth with his free hand. “I hope I'm not interrupting anything.”<br/>
Yeonjoo’s neurons kicked back into action. She conjured a half-hearted laugh and waved her hand, hoping to dismiss any thoughts Chul may have about Taehyung and her. “It’s nothing, really. He was just helping me to fix my hair, don’t sweat about it.”<br/>
Chul nodded slowly and dashed back to the counter, not before sending Taehyung a conspicuous wink and a thumbs up causing his friend’s face to heat up.<br/>
Out of habit, Yeonjoo’s fingers reached up and intertwined themselves with the metal chain clasped around her neck. She tried to mentally jot down a list of topics to deviate them from the previous few minutes, but it folded itself and fluttered out of her mind.</p><p><br/>
<em>‘It’s nothing, right?’</em>
</p><p> </p><p><br/>
🌼</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"I'm back!" Taehyung entered his apartment, shrugging off his jacket and shoes.<br/>
"What took you so long?"<br/>
He didn't bother searching for the source of the voice, already knowing that it came from the lounge. He dropped a paper bag onto the kitchen counter and proceeded to unwrap his scarf. "I met up with a— " Taehyung blinked, gaping at his housemate's attire as disgust shrouded his being. "PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, WOULD YOU! IT'S FREAKING MINUS DEGREES OUT THERE!! ARE YOU TRYING TO FREEZE TO DEATH, JEONGGUK!!??"</p><p>Jeongguk ignored his friend's outrage, stepping towards the bag with just a skimpy pair of briefs to provide some sort of warmth for him. He propped himself onto the bar stool and opened the bag. "You usually don't buy the desserts."<br/>
Taehyung trudged to his room. "She forced it into my hands, how could I say no?"<br/>
Jeongguk began to stuff his mouth with the desserts when he peered suspiciously at the older man. "She? Since when did you have any 'she' friends?" he asked. Having being met with silence, Jeongguk continued to munch on the delights, patiently waiting for Taehyung to return and further elaborate.<br/>
<br/>
Moments later, the teacher shuffled back into sight, now wearing his pyjamas and covered by a blanket. He carelessly dropped the stack of papers in his hold onto the coffee table and plopped down onto the floor, switching the TV off, much to Jeongguk's dismay. "Since today, I guess. She's a student's mother."<br/>
Jeongguk whistled lowly, jumping over the sofa and landing next to Taehyung. "I didn't take you for that type."<br/>
Taehyung picked up his red pen to start marking, but paused his movements as soon as he saw the first paper which was filled with doodles instead of equations. "What type?"<br/>
Jeongguk switched the TV back on and slung an arm over the sofa. "The type that got into teaching just to seduce the kids' parents."<br/>
<br/>
Having every ounce of his prior mental tranquillity incinerated by the sheets decorated with nonsensical answers, Taehyung grasped the remote out of Jeongguk's hold, smacking the back of his friend's head and switching the TV back off in one swift motion. "Get your head out of the gutter and use it on something more rewarding."<br/>
Jeongguk leaned his head back over the headrest and groaned. He was annoyed, not at his friend’s violent reaction but at the fact that Taehyung was hammering a fence around his freedom. "Hyung, give me a break. It's my day off."<br/>
The teacher clicked the red pen in his hand irritably. "Then make yourself useful and get lunch started."<br/>
Jeongguk grinned. "But I already ordered take out."<br/>
<br/>
The doorbell rang and Jeongguk's grin widened. "Would you look at that." He snatched Taehyung's blanket, the other man whining and attempting to grab back the soft material as Jeongguk wrapped it around himself. Feeling like he looked decent enough, Jeongguk then dashed to the door, collected the meal and placed it triumphantly on the counter. "Fried chicken, here I come."<br/>
Taehyung slumped back into the sofa. The pile of white paper seemed to tower over him while the drifting smell of fresh out-of-the-oil crisp chicken enticed his senses. Overwhelmed, he stood up, ditching his duties as a teacher and giving into his desires. "Yah, Jeongguk! Leave some for me too!"</p><p> </p><p>Taehyung made it three quarters way through the stack when tiredness hit him. After Jeongguk and him had emptied the box of chicken into their stomachs, they both went back to their respective activities: Jeongguk binging every show he had missed and Taehyung marking the papers in his dimly lit bedroom. Taehyung stretched his arms and yawned. He moved the curtains aside and gazed out. The sun had resigned for the day yet he could still hear the static sound of the television. He felt around for his phone and switched it on once found. He squinted his eyes at the brightness but they widened when he saw the time. Eight pm.<br/>
<br/>
<em>'Holy shit.'</em>, Taehyung thought. He had been grading papers for seven hours straight yet he still had more to do. The teacher groaned and laid his head on top of the pile of papers. He stared at the blank screen as memories of the passed day resurfaced. He groaned louder, hand ruffling through his fluffy mob of hair. He didn't mean to reach over to Yeonjoo and demolish the carefree atmosphere they had going but his OCD had to kick in. Although they conversed for another hour or so, Taehyung's head was preoccupied with unnecessary, overthought thoughts causing his responses to become more brief. He reached for his phone again, not wanting to beat himself over about it, and scrolled mindlessly through it. His thumb stopped, a faint smile on his lips as he read the text. Seems like he didn't have to bribe his sister after all.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Ms. Wang</strong><br/>
<strong>xxx - xxx - xxxx</strong>
</p><p> </p><p><br/>
🌼</p><p> </p><p><br/>
The day had been an eventful one for Yeonjoo. She laid lifeless on the sofa as she recollected the day’s events. Having returned home almost four hours after she left in the morning, Yeonjoo was met with yet another interrogation session by her son and had to pacify her daughter's sobs. Hikaru had become worked up when she thought the worst had happened to her mother. Then it was onto the business of the day—repairing the television. The three of them sat for two hours or so, trying to reboot and restart the system until it finally showed some signs of life. Next it was the daily chores of cooking and cleaning. The kitchen was in a much messier state than she last saw it and Yeonjoo figured that it was remnants of the argument that took place while she was away. Later she had inadvertently discovered that Hikaru had a project due in the next two days and had yet to get a start on it. She dedicated the rest of her day to helping her with it.</p><p>Her stomach growled and only then did Yeonjoo realise that she had not even touched the desserts she had bought earlier. She smiled as she recalled her time at the cafe. Before they left, she had ensured that they each left with a batch of assorted, delectable desserts which were on display at the cafe. Yeonjoo thought of it as a token of their friendship. Like school girls buying matching charms, it was a remembrance, and an implication that Taehyung should be less uptight next time he comes over.<br/>
<br/>
Her phone dinged. Not wanting to move an inch out of her current snug position, Yeonjoo stretched her arm the furthest she could over the table. The tips of her fingers managed to brush against the side of the phone before she ended up sprawled out on the floor. She lifted her body, using her elbows as leverage and swiped open her phone.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Mr. Kim:<br/>
</strong><br/>
<b>Next time let's try the tea</b>
</p><p> </p><p>She giggled at the forwardness of Taehyung's text, happy to know that it wasn't the last she was going to be seeing of the cafe and that there was indeed to be a 'next time' to their meetings.</p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Sounds like a plan </strong>
</p><p> </p><p><br/>
🌼</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter was much longer than what I usually write, but I hoped you enjoyed it!</p><p>More Jeongguk coming up in the next chapter :))</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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